“The Lira which is the hallmark of our economy, the symbol of our long-term sacrifice and our hard work, must be defended and will be firmly defended by any means”

Benito Mussolini, Pesaro speech, August 18, 1926

The devaluation of the Lira had become unsustainable in 1926 and Italy was still facing huge post-war economic problems.

Mussolini’s speech in Pesaro was the beginning of a campaign, full of populist implications, against the inflation and the high costs of living. The campaign aimed to increase the domestic production and to reduce costs.

In 1927 appeals and government initiatives were multiplied in order to drive down the sale price of all goods. The appeal applied to all goods considered necessities, footwear included.

Giuseppe Borri had died in an accident in December 1926. His sons took over, and Ambrogio, the eldest, known to be a bossy man, ran the shoe factory.

With Ambrogio at the helm, the company got closer to the government policies. In May 1927, Borri voluntarily joined the government request to lower retail prices and they announced a 6% price reduction:

“Our decision comes spontaneously from the mere desire to contribute to the concrete and lasting results of the campaign, desired by our government, because primary purpose of all the souls and consciences must be the national welfare.”

The fascists appreciated and two years later - when in Busto Arsizio - the then Minister of Corporations Giuseppe Bottai paid Borri a visit. The minister also visited the cotton mill BUSTESE and the VENZAGHI textile company after the monument's inauguration of the "merchant prince" Enrico Dell'Acqua..